8:37am: Running back Jerome Smith, who has spent the entire season on the Falcons’ practice squad, will take Anderson’s spot on the 53-man roster, per agent David Canter (Twitter link).
7:55am: After being on the Falcons’ active roster for a little over a month, veteran linebacker James Anderson will be released by the team, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Anderson will become a free agent, able to sign with any club, assuming he clears waivers.
Anderson, 31, started all 16 games last season for the Bears, with Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required) ranking him 33rd out of 35 qualified 4-3 outside linebackers. That poor grade was due in large part to subpar performance against the run — he was one of the league’s more effective linebackers in pass coverage. Still, he didn’t see any time on defense during an earlier stint this season in Tennessee, appearing exclusively on special teams, and during his time with Atlanta, he didn’t see the field at all.
When Anderson’s release becomes official, the Falcons will likely announce a corresponding move, either a free agent signing or a promotion of a practice squad player.